1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to foot operated devices, mechanisms and aids for lifting the hinged lid and seat of a sanitary toilet fixture.
2. State of the Prior Art
Sanitary toilet fixtures typically consist of a floor mounted ceramic bowl with an drain connected to a sewer outlet and a system for flushing the bowl with water following use. A seat, typically of wood or plastic, is normally supported on the rim of the ceramic bowl for the comfort of a seated user. The toilet seat is hinged to the rear of the bowl to permit the front of the seat to be lifted out of the way, in order to prevent unsanitary splashing and soiling of the seat when the toilet bowl is used by a standing male. While it is desirable to lift the seat in order to preserve the sanitary condition of the seat for subsequent users of the toilet facility, many persons are reluctant to touch the seat with their hands in order to do so, with the result that the seat is left in a lowered condition and becomes soiled. Conversely, it often happens that in a shared bathroom one user habitually tends to leave the toilet seat up, to the continuing frustration of other users who must lower the seat before using the toilet.
This problem has been long recognized and many attempts have been made towards a solution. Many of these prior devices feature a pedal connected for raising the toilet seat when the pedal is depressed by a person standing in front of the bowl. While most of the previously known mechanisms are effective in relieving the user from hand contact with the seat, they have not been widely adopted because of their complexity or difficulty of installation. Some of these devices must be bolted to the floor next to the toilet bowl while others call for specially designed toilet bowls or toilet seats. Still others involve cumbersome and visually unappealing constructions or may be awkward to use.
In spite of the many prior attempts at addressing this problem, no satisfactory solution has yet been found, and a continuing need exists for a simple, low cost and unobtrusive foot actuated toilet seat lifting device which can be easily installed in most existing or new toilet bowl installations without modification to either the toilet bowl or the seat.